This invention relates generally to water heaters and, in particular, to a system for restraining water heaters.
Conventional water heaters are generally cylindrical in overall shape, often between about four and six feet tall, and placed in an upright position. It is important for water heaters to remain in an upright position, in spite of disturbances such as earthquakes. A conventional method for securing a water heater in an upright position is to wrap a simple cable or strap around the water heater and attach the cable or strap to a nearby wall. This method, however, is unsatisfactory because the water heater is often an unknown distance from the wall and water heaters typically have different sizes. Thus, cables or straps of various lengths are required, and installation time is lengthened. Additionally, these simple cables or straps can be very difficult to install, and it is very difficult to obtain the proper tension in the cables or straps around the water heater. Therefore, the water heater is often improperly supported.